• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Politics
  • Health
  • Travel
  • Gay Pride
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Men
  • Space
  • Science
  • Gay Iconography
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Monkeypox
  • Film/TV

Massachusetts Lawmakers Approve Transgender Rights Bill – WATCH

Sean Mandell June 1, 2016 Leave a Comment

Massachusetts transgender

The Massachusetts House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would protect transgender citizens from discrimination in areas of public accommodation, including bathrooms and changing rooms.

The legislation (H 4343) passed by a vote of 116 to 36. The margin was wide enough to make the vote veto-proof. The bill was not passed purely on party lines, with 12 Democrats voting against and 8 Republicans voting in favor.

Here's the official roll call on today's victorious #TransBillMA vote in the House: pic.twitter.com/MYGFfjexbj

— Vote Yes on 3 (@Freedom_Mass) June 1, 2016

The state Senate has approved a similar measure and Governor Charlie Baker (R) has signaled he would sign such a bill.

The move in Massachusetts comes in stark contrast to votes in legislatures around the nation that have advanced anti-transgender bills.

The Boston Herald reports: 

The vote capped a long journey for proponents of the bill who were unsuccessful in advancing the legislation over an eight-year period when the State House was entirely controlled by Democrats.

Rep. John Fernandes, the House chairman of the Judiciary Committee, kicked off the emotional day of debate at the State House by calling public accommodations the “bedrock” of anti-discrimination and a natural extension of the 2011 law that protected transgender individuals from discrimination in the workplace and housing.

“You can’t tell people it’s OK to work at the diner, but it’s not to sit at the lunch counter. We learned that a long time ago,” Fernandes said.

With proponents and opponents of the bill crowding two floors of the State House outside the House chamber, lawmakers engaged in a lengthy back-and-forth over the controversial measure. In the hallways, opponents brought by the Massachusetts Family Institute chanted, “No,” while supporters in the House gallery applauded each opening speech in support of the bill. The debate drew more people to the State House that any other issue this session as many watched on television screens set up outside the chamber as overflow viewing areas.

Watch video of the moment the bill was passed, below.

The gallery erupted in cheers moments after the vote. Very happy ending to a long day. #TransBillMA pic.twitter.com/YL9om7tZNY

— ACLU Massachusetts (@ACLU_Mass) June 1, 2016

[Top image via Twitter]

Topics: Uncategorized More Posts About: LGBT Rights, Massachussetts, Transgender

Related Posts
  • Alabama Sued In Federal Court By Families, Doctors After Anti-Trans Healthcare Bill Signed Into Law
  • Man, woman or… X: US rolls out gender-neutral passports
  • Sports-Transgender women should not compete in female events – British PM
  • Explicit Photos To Blame? ‘Speechless’ Madonna Is Outraged After Being BLOCKED From Instagram Live

    Explicit Photos To Blame? ‘Speechless’ Madonna Is Outraged After Being BLOCKED From Instagram Live

    Published by Radar Online KCS Presse / MEGA Madonna was in utter shock to discover that Instagram had blocked her from going live, sharing a video of the awkward moment she found out on Friday. “What …Read More »
  • US archbishop bans Pelosi from communion over abortion rights support

    US archbishop bans Pelosi from communion over abortion rights support

    Published by AFP Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, a lifelong Catholic, has been barred from holy communion by the archbishop of San Francisco over her support for abortion San Francisco (AFP) – The …Read More »
  • Giuliani meets with U.S. House Jan. 6 panel, CNN reports

    Giuliani meets with U.S. House Jan. 6 panel, CNN reports

    Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Rudy Giuliani, who served as former U.S. President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, met for more than nine hours on Friday with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack …Read More »
  • WHO working on more monkeypox guidance as cases rise – senior adviser

    WHO working on more monkeypox guidance as cases rise – senior adviser

    Published by Reuters By Jennifer Rigby LONDON (Reuters) – The World Health Organization is working on further guidance for countries on how to mitigate the spread of monkeypox, amid concerns cases could spike further in the …Read More »
Previous Post: « This Sweet Ad About a Gay Soccer Player and His Boyfriend Will Melt Your Heart – WATCH
Next Post: NYC Pride Guide, Gavin Newsom, King Tutankhamun, Deep Tunnel, Pietro Boselli, DNC: NEWS »

Primary Sidebar

News

  • Harris, White House Spox Rip Oklahoma For Passing Near-Total Abortion Ban Weeks After Leaked Supreme Court Opinion

    Harris, White House Spox Rip Oklahoma For Passing Near-Total Abortion Ban Weeks After Leaked Supreme Court Opinion

  • Trump pays $110,000 fine for blocking New York state tax probe

    Trump pays $110,000 fine for blocking New York state tax probe

  • Erdogan demands concessions to back Swedish, Finnish NATO membership

    Erdogan demands concessions to back Swedish, Finnish NATO membership

  • Zelensky says Ukraine has ‘broken the backbone’ of the Russian army

    Zelensky says Ukraine has ‘broken the backbone’ of the Russian army

Break

  • Evan Spiegel & Miranda Kerr Pay Off $10 Million In Loans Of Otis College’s Graduating Class

    Evan Spiegel & Miranda Kerr Pay Off $10 Million In Loans Of Otis College’s Graduating Class

  • Vladimir Putin’s Daughter SECRETLY Living In Germany With Man Named Igor Zelensky

    Vladimir Putin’s Daughter SECRETLY Living In Germany With Man Named Igor Zelensky

  • Tucker Carlson: Voice of white America’s outrage and fears

    Tucker Carlson: Voice of white America’s outrage and fears

  • Viola Davis was called by director’s maid’s name

    Viola Davis was called by director’s maid’s name

RSS Partner Links

  • Sunday Comics
  • Speedo Sunday
  • Trainer Day + Sniffing Out The Scoop On Poppers + NJ Trucker-Congressman Proposes STRICTER Don't Say Gay Bill + MORE! — 6-PACK
  • 'Barry' Actor Anthony Carrigan Says He Was Told to Quit Acting Over Alopecia
  • Adele Sits Courtside with Boyfriend Rich Paul at NBA Palyoffs Game
  • 'Sex & the City' Author Candace Bushnell, 63, Dating 21-Year-Old Model
  • Ashley Graham Reveals She Nearly Died Giving Birth to Twins at Home
  • Hot Slut Of The Day!
  • Caption Me

Most Recent

  • Kate McKinnon Leaving SNL; What? Also Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson  and Kyle Mooney Set to Depart After This Season.  Season Finale TONIGHT

    Kate McKinnon Leaving SNL; What? Also Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson and Kyle Mooney Set to Depart After This Season. Season Finale TONIGHT

  • Explicit Photos To Blame? ‘Speechless’ Madonna Is Outraged After Being BLOCKED From Instagram Live

    Explicit Photos To Blame? ‘Speechless’ Madonna Is Outraged After Being BLOCKED From Instagram Live

  • US archbishop bans Pelosi from communion over abortion rights support

    US archbishop bans Pelosi from communion over abortion rights support

  • Giuliani meets with U.S. House Jan. 6 panel, CNN reports

    Giuliani meets with U.S. House Jan. 6 panel, CNN reports

  • WHO working on more monkeypox guidance as cases rise – senior adviser

    WHO working on more monkeypox guidance as cases rise – senior adviser

  • Belgian Pride festival returns to Brussels after two-year hiatus

    Belgian Pride festival returns to Brussels after two-year hiatus

  • Spain identifies possible new monkeypox cluster in Canaries

    Spain identifies possible new monkeypox cluster in Canaries

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Log in